Summary

Post operative ileus (POI), a temporary paralysis of the intestines, is a serious health
care problem. It normally occurs in all patients after surgery to the abdomen but in some
cases can result in serious complications. The objective of this study is to determine if
inhaling very low doses of carbon monoxide (CO) before and after colon surgery will shorten
the duration of normal POI and/or prevent the development of POI complications in patients
undergoing colon surgery.

A preliminary study will be conducted in six healthy volunteers to monitor for blood levels
and adverse effects that occur at 3 different doses of inhaled CO to establish a safe dose
for patients in the main trial. For the main trial, patients requiring surgery to their
colon will be assigned randomly to receive one hour treatments of either CO or oxygen by
face mask before and after their operation. Length of normal POI and occurrence of POI
complications will be compared between the two groups. Side effects that occur from
inhaling CO or oxygen will also be recorded.

We hypothesize that inhaling CO before and after colon surgery will shorten the length of
normal POI and decrease the occurrence of POI complications with minimal side effects.

Carbon monoxide represents the most important C1-building block for the chemical industry, both for the production of bulk and fine chemicals, but also for synthetic fuels. Yet, its toxicity and subse...

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a very common intoxication worldwide. Its clinical manifestations vary from symptoms like mild headache and dizziness to more serious issues including death. Less well kno...

Carbon monoxide dehydrogenases (CODHs) catalyze the reversible oxidation of CO with water to CO, two electrons, and two protons. Two classes of CODHs exist, having evolved from different scaffolds fea...

A ubiquitous stress-responsive enzyme that catalyzes the oxidative cleavage of HEME to yield IRON; CARBON MONOXIDE; and BILIVERDIN.

Volcanic Eruptions

The ash, dust, gases, and lava released by volcanic explosion. The gases are volatile matter composed principally of about 90% water vapor, and carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen. The ash or dust is pyroclastic ejecta and lava is molten extrusive material consisting mainly of magnesium silicate. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)

Methanobacteriales

An order of anaerobic, coccoid to rod-shaped methanogens, in the kingdom EURYARCHAEOTA. They are nonmotile, do not catabolize carbohydrates, proteinaceous material, or organic compounds other than formate or carbon monoxide, and are widely distributed in nature.

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